Welcome back to our Top 5 Series. This month’s post will continue with our latest subseries ‘Top 5 Home Learning Series’. Previous posts in this subseries include ‘Top Five Weekend Activities for Kids’ and ‘Top Five Tips for Traveling with Children’. Previously, we covered a variety of topics within our ‘Top 5 Parenting Series’. The posts in that subseries include ‘Top Five Rainy Day Ideas for Parents’, ‘Top Five Tips for Creating Better Sleep for Your Child’, ‘Top Five Tips for Raising Independent Children’, ‘Top Five Tips for Improving Picky Eating’, ‘Top Five Tips for Building Family Bonds’, and “Top Five Tips for Balancing Technology in Your Home”..

Introducing children to the concept of money at a young age is vital for their long-term financial literacy and success. In this blog post, we will explore effective strategies and ways parents can teach their children about money management. From setting savings goals to introducing budgeting techniques, this article will provide valu...

Welcome back to our Top 5 Series. This month’s post will continue with the new subseries we began last month ‘Top 5 Home Learning Series’. Last month, our blog post was titled ‘Top Five Tips for Traveling with Children’. Previously, we covered a variety of topics within our ‘Top 5 Parenting Series’. The posts in that subseries include ‘Top 5 Rainy Day Ideas for Parents’, ‘Top 5 Tips for Creating Better Sleep for Your Child’, ‘Top 5 Tips for Raising Independent Children’, ‘Top 5 Tips for Improving Picky Eating’, ‘Top 5 Tips for Building Family Bonds’, and “Top 5 Tips for Balancing Technology in Your Home”.

Are you tired of hearing your kids say, "I'm bored" every weekend? Or maybe you are tired of coming up with ideas to entertain them before they scream of boredom. Either way- look no further! In this article, we will explore our top five weekend activities for kids that will keep them entertained and create lasting memories. From exciting outdoor adventures to creative indoor activit...

Welcome back to our Top 5 Series. This month’s post will pivot a bit from our series into a new subset of topics. This will be our first post within our “Top 5 Home Learning Series”. Previously, we were covering topics within our “Top 5 Parenting Series”. The posts in that subseries include ‘Top 5 Rainy Day Ideas for Parents’, ‘Top 5 Tips for Creating Better Sleep for Your Child’, ‘Top 5 Tips for Raising Independent Children’, ‘Top 5 Tips for Improving Picky Eating’, ‘Top 5 Tips for Building Family Bonds’, and “Top 5 Tips for Balancing Technology in Your Home”.

Planning a family trip with children can be both exciting and challenging. As parents, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience for everyone in the family is crucial. In this blog post, we will share our top five tips for traveling with children that will help you navigate through the ups and downs of the journey. So, whether you're embarking on a road trip or taking a flight to a new destination, these tips will help you cre...

Welcome back to our Top 5 Parenting Series. The previous posts in this series include ‘Top 5 Rainy Day Ideas for Parents’, ‘Top 5 Tips for Creating Better Sleep for Your Child’, ‘Top 5 Tips for Raising Independent Children’, ‘Top 5 Tips for Improving Picky Eating’, and ‘Top 5 Tips for Building Family Bonds’. In this post, our sixth post in the series, we will explore tips for balancing the use of technology within your home.

Balancing the use of technology for kids within the home is a crucial aspect of modern parenting. In an era where screens dominate our daily lives, striking a healthy balance between technological exposure and real-life experiences is essential for the well-rounded development of our children. This article explores the potential benefits and risks of excessive screen time and offers practical tips and strategies for parents to ensure a harmonious coexistence between technology and other activities in their children's lives. By cultivating a balanced approach, we c...

Welcome back to our Top 5 Parenting Series. The previous posts in this series include ‘Top 5 Rainy Day Ideas for Parents’, ‘Top 5 Tips for Creating Better Sleep for Your Child’, ‘Top 5 Tips for Raising Independent Children’, and ‘Top 5 Tips for Improving Picky Eating’. In this post, our fifth post in the series, we will explore tips for building family bonds.

Building and maintaining healthy family relationships is a crucial part of a happy and fulfilling life. As human beings, we thrive on connections and social interactions, and our families are often where we find the deepest sense of belonging and purpose. However, the fast-paced nature of modern life can make it challenging to prioritize and nurture these relationships. In this article, we will explore five key strategies for building and maintaining strong and healthy family relationships, even in the midst of life's many demands and distractions.

Tip #1: Plan quality time

Quality- not quantity- helps improve family relation...

Welcome back to our Top 5 Parenting Series. The previous posts in this series include ‘Top 5 Rainy Day Ideas for Parents’, ‘Top 5 Tips for Creating Better Sleep for Your Child’, and ‘Top 5 Tips for Raising Independent Children’. In this post, our fourth post in the series, we will explore tips for helping expand your child’s palate.

As a registered and licensed dietitian with over a decade of experience in working with individuals and families in education, I am well versed in working with ‘picky eaters’. Picky eating is a common issue among children and adults alike. It can be challenging to encourage someone to try new foods, but there are ways to help improve picky eating habits. With patience and persistence, individuals can learn to expand their palates and enjoy a variety of nutritious foods. In this article, we will explore five strategies for overcoming picky eating in children while building a healthy relationship with food.

1. Remove the pressure and make it fun

Playing...

Welcome back to our Top 5 Parenting Series. The previous posts in this series are titled ‘Top 5 Rainy Day Ideas for Parents’ and’ Top 5 Tips for Creating Better Sleep for Your Child’. In this post, our third post in the series, we will explore tips for raising independent children.

Raising children is hard. I mean really hard. At the same time, raising children is one of the most rewarding experiences we can have as adults. Raising independent children is an essential aspect of their development and growth towards becoming self-reliant adults. Fostering such autonomy in young minds requires a delicate balance of guidance, support, and allowing them the freedom to make their own decisions. As parents or caregivers, our role is to nurture this independence by providing a safe and encouraging environment that promotes exploration and learning. With the right approach, we can instill the skills and characteristics needed for children to successfully navigate the world on their own terms. ...

This is our second post in our new series ‘Top 5’. This post is included in our “Top 5 Parenting Series” and will explore ideas for parents to help their child get a better night’s sleep. Our first post is titled “Top 5 Rainy Day Ideas for Parents”.

Every parent knows that zombie feeling when your newborn just won’t sleep. For some of us that phase lasts far too long and for others it is a blip on the radar. Either way, it is a commonality between all parents. As children grow up, it is natural for the sleep to go through ups and downs. Some weeks they may sleep well and not wake you up, and other times they may have a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep. Sleep is a complex topic and one that many scientists devote their life’s work to. Today, we will be discussing 5 simple tips you can incorporate into your child’s routine to promote better sleep.

Tip 1: Create a sleepy time routine.

As a first-time parent, I didn't realize the importance of creating a bedtime routine for ...

This is our first post in our new blog series titled “Top 5”. This series will include a variety of posts of ‘Top 5’ tips and ideas on a variety of topics related to raising children. In this post we will review five ideas for parents to incorporate into their rainy (or snowy!) day with their children.  

 Idea #1: Games

Games are a great activity for a rainy day and can teach children many valuble skills like taking turns.

The key to this idea is finding age-appropriate games for your children. My girls are now 8 and 5 years old, and our current household favorites include Trouble, Sorry, Uno, Yahtzee, and Monopoly. When they were younger games like Memory, Candy Land, and Guess Who were favorites. As I look ahead, I’m excited to incorporate new games like Scrabble, Upwords, and Racko. If you have younger children, consider playing as a team so that they have additional support in understanding the concepts and rules. While these are our family favorites, there is an endless suppl...

Your answer is likely no. And I didn’t used to either to be honest with you. Although I do it, I really don’t enjoy setting goals as an adult, so I hadn’t put my child through that kind of discomfort. What changed my perspective you ask? Not too long ago, I was helping my 5 year old daughter get ready for bed when she told me she wanted to be a better reader so she could read more books by herself. That was my lightbulb moment! She was setting her own goal without even realizing it and without my prompting.

Goal setting can help develop a successful student and help children reach their full potential. When children set and achieve goals, they learn valuable lessons about perseverance and resilience. It is important to foster an environment of goal setting in the home, so that children understand that they can work towards and accomplish their goals. As a parent with years of experience under my belt, I am now realizing this. Teaching children goal setting techniques will help them de...